This is a step-by-step guide to setting up the Foscam FI8908W and Airport Extreme router. The Airport Extreme is Version 7.5.1 and the Airport Utility is Version 5.5.1. As you probably know by now, the camera manual sucks. You might want to take a look at Foscam's FI8918 manual. The software is similar to the FI8908W so it might give you some answers to your questions.

Overview

What we're going to do here is prepare the Airport Extreme to operate nicely with the FI8908W. The IP addresses we'll be dealing with are the LAN (Local Area Network) IP's assigned by the Airport. We won't need the WAN IP address of the router unless you want to access your system from the Internet. The router needs to be set up as an "Open Network", meaning it's broadcasting its SSID. Your encryption set to "WPA/WPA2 Personal". Remember the difference between the Airport Extreme's name (The name of the router) and the Network Wireless Name. (SSID) (the camera needs this name to connect to the router)

The camera needs a static IP address, not an address assigned by the router. It needs various IP addresses inputted that you'd get from the router. The port is 80. Remember when you go from Ethernet to Wireless mode to unplug the power supply cord and wait about a minute before plugging it back in. Repeat if you need to. And if you totally lock up the camera, you can do a hard reset. Push Reset button at bottom of camera for at least 20 seconds. Watch your typing and beware of typos and misspellings!! OK, lets go.

Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up FI8908W with Airport Extreme

Find and download the program "IP Scanner" from Versiontracker or Cnet Downloads and install on your Mac. If you have a Windows machine, the camera comes with a program that will do the same thing.

Connect the camera by Ethernet cable to your Airport Extreme router and connect the cameras power supply cable and plug it in. The camera SHOULD start to move and the green light in front starts blinking.

Load the Airport Utility on your Mac, which is located in Applications/Utilities. Click "Manual Setup". You are in the "Summary" page. Make note of the "Wireless Network Name". Make note also of the "IP Address". This is your WAN IP address. It's the address the outside Internet world sees. You'll need this if you want to view your camera on the Internet.

Click "Wireless". Wireless Security should be set to "WPA/WPA2 Personal". If not, change it. Make sure you know your Wireless Network's password.

Click "Wireless Network Options". Make sure "Create a Closed Network" is unchecked. Click "Done". The Foscam camera can only see open networks. Meaning the SSID name of your network router is broadcast in the clear.

Click "DHCP". Make note of DHCP Ending Address. You're done with the router for the moment.

OK. Run "IP Scanner" on your Mac. (Your camera should still be connected to the router and powered on.) Don't forget to hit "Start"! Take note of the IP address of your Airport Router. This is its LAN IP address. You should see all the IP addresses of every device on your router. One is labeled "Unknown" or "Anonymous". That's your camera. Take note of that IP address. (All IP's listed are LAN IP addresses assigned by the router's DHCP Server.) If you double click on its name, a menu will pop up allowing you to make up a name for that connection. Example: Camera1.

Open web browser and type in that IP address. This gets you to the Log in page of the camera. Click Login for Firefox. Default User name is "admin" with no password. Click "Device Management".

Click "Alias Setting". Create a name you want to call your camera. (Example: Camera1, Cam1, etc.) Click "Submit". You can set your "Date and Time" and "User Settings" (user names and passwords) after you get everything else working.

Click "Basic Network Settings". What we're going to do is give your camera a Static IP Address. Uncheck box that reads "Obtain IP from DHCP Server" and fill in the blanks with the following:

IP Address: Remember when you made a note of the DCHP ending address in the Airport Extreme router? (Step 7) Chose an IP address PAST the end of the DCHP ending address range. (Example: if the ending address is 123.456.789.200, chose 123.456.789.201 and on up.) This IP address you chose will be your cameras Static IP Address.

Click "Scan". If nothing shows up, wait a minute and click "Scan" again. Your Airport router's Network Wireless Name (SSID) should show up. This is assuming you have set up your wireless network correctly in Step 4. Your routers Network Wireless Name (SSID) along with any other wireless system in your area should be listed. It's IMPORTANT that it shows up. If its not there, make sure the Airport is set to open network in Step 5. Still not there, pull power from camera and reboot and go through Step 17 again. Watch for TYPO'S and misspellings. Click on your routers Network Wireless Name and the SSID Box should automatically fill in with your routers name and the Encryption Box should automatically have all your security information filled in. If you picked "WPA/WPA2 Personal" in your Airport, the camera encryption should be listed as "WPA Personal (TKIP). Under "Share Key", type in Airport's network password. Click "Submit" and camera reboots.

After the camera reboots, log in again with your browser. (You should be getting used to this step by now!) If everything is fine, its time to go wireless!

Pull the power plug from your camera and disconnect the Ethernet cable. Wait a minute then plug the power back into your camera. Camera goes through its boot up process.

Back to your browser. Type in your camera's static IP address. You SHOULD get back to your camera's log in page. You should be good to go! (If not, repeat Step 20. Still have problems? Reconnect Ethernet cable, log in again to camera, THEN repeat Step 20.)

If you've got this far, feel free to go back to "User Settings" and "Date and Time" and set those up at your leisure. Remember to make note of any passwords you create!

Finally, if you want to access your camera on the Internet, first you'll need to set up a web address at Dyndns.com. You'll create a web address that will connect to your router and through that, your camera. You'll just type in a URL and there is your camera. All the documentation you need is on that website. Note: You'll need your Airport's WAN IP Address. Another way of finding that out is to go to "whatismyip.com".

Open up your Airport Utility again. We're going to set up Port Mapping. From your Main Screen, Click "Advanced". Click "Port Mapping". Click "+". Under "Choose a Service" pick "Personal Web Sharing". The Public and Private TCP ports should be 80.